After World War 2, Germany was split into two areas that became East Germany and West Germany. East was under the control of the Soviet Union and the West was governed by the Western Allies. In 1949 the Western Allies signed a treaty together which formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The aim of NATO was to defend each other from the possibility of communist Soviet Union taking control of their nation. In the same year, West Germany was given full sovereignty, and was rearmed by NATO.
Summary:
The Warsaw Pact came to fruition from the creation of NATO and the rearming of West Germany. The USSR wanted the NATO to be abolished because they feared the military and economic power that the pact created with the Western countries. The soviets responded with a military alliance with communist Eastern European countries, including East Germany which was called the Warsaw Pact. The pact was officially called the ‘Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance’. The Signatories included" the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. The treaty called on the member states to come to the defence of any member attacked by an outside force and it set up a unified military command under Marshal Ivan S. Konev of the Soviet Union.History.com staff called the pact “a mutual defence organisation that put the Soviets in command of the armed forces of the member states.” The introduction of the Warsaw Pact stated: “Western Germany, which is being re-militarised, and her inclusion in the North Atlantic bloc, which increases the danger of a new war and creates a threat to the national security of peace-loving states.” The aim of the Pact was to contain West Germany and be an equivalent partner to NATO. Other motives for the treaty was to resolve the civil unrest building in Eastern Europe after the end of World War 2. “Soviet union ultimately controlled most of the Pact’s decisions”. The signatories had few of everything military wise when compared to the nations of NATO. The pact relied heavily on conscription, whereby young men and women had to serve in their respective country's military. The pact dissolved in July of 1991, after multiple countries left. The pact contributed heavily to proxy wars such as the Korean War and Vietnam War, as Warsaw signatories provided resources for the Communist combatants in each of the wars. Th
Perspectives:
For the Eastern Bloc countries, they viewed the Warsaw Pact as an alliance that could keep socialist ideals alive and prevent the spreading of capitalistic views in Eastern Europe. The USSR specifically, wanted to be able a leader of Communism in the world and maintain their hold on Eastern and Central Europe. They also believed that they needed to create something equivalent to NATO as their application ti join was rejected in 1954.
NATO on the other hand believed the Warsaw Pact was the USSR attempting to create a military force that could be used to spread Communism across the whole world. They strongly opposed the pact and relations between the USA and the USSR became very cold after the pact was signed. Because of the USSR's nuclear arsenal, they also saw this as an attempt to allow for more nuclear missile launch stations closer to the East Coast of the USA.
Implications:
As a result of the Warsaw Pact, the world became divided and relations between the west and the eastern bloc became very cold. Though NATO and Warsaw Pact signatories never came into direct conflict, they did fight in proxy wars through supplying of resources and fighting with their preferred side. Examples of this were the Korean War and the Vietnam War, in which millions of people died. The Warsaw Pact marked the progress of the USSR and solidified the
presence of Communism in the World. For the USSR, the Warsaw Pact provided them with an abundance of reserve soldiers that could be called upon if war broke out in Russia. It also allowed the USSR to spread their air defense scruture to the countries of Eastern Europe which bolstered the security of Russia.
SourceAnalysis
This is a map of the world following the signing of the Warsaw Pact. It shows the division of the world between NATO and the Warsaw Pact signatories. The map also depicts the scale of power that each of the two treaties had in the world. With exception to China, it shows that nearly the whole world had chosen sides on the rivalry of NATO and the Soviet Union. This map displays the scale of the Warsaw Pact and how much of the world it affected.
A defence paper from 1978 compares the military strength of the NATO countries and the Warsaw Pact Countries in Central Europe. The comparison is made with stats about the number of total soldiers, number of soldiers fighting in units, amount of battle tanks, number of artillery and total amount of fixed wing tactical aircraft. For every category the Warsaw Pact Countries had more, with an overwhelming advantage in number of tanks, artillery and fixed wing tactical aircraft. This source reveals the military power that the Warsaw Pact created for the USSR. This powerful military force would deter any attempt from NATO to attack countries in the Eastern Bloc, such as East Germany.
This cartoon has two pictures, the first one depicts Uncle Sam reaching over a globe to grab the bear of the USSR with the aid of Western Europe, China and Israel amongst other nations.The second picture in the cartoon shows the perspective of the Russian Beat which is reaching across the globe to take over Europe, Asia and Africa. This cartoon reveals the intentions of the USA and the USSR. The USA is portrayed to be wanting to attack the USSR with the support of many of the worlds most powerful nations. The USSR on the other hand is shown to having the aim of taking over the whole world. The cartoon is bias towards the USA and reveals the view of the Western Nations on the Cold War. The West believe the USSR are planning to spread communism over the entire world which is why the USA must band together with other nations to stop them.
A picture from the Warsaw Pact Conference on the 11th of May 1955. The Eastern Bloc countries meet to discuss and negotiate the terms of the Pact. The USSR dictated most of the conference, and had the final say on most of the decisions regarding the pact. Though the picture indicates that everyone was equals, the USSR was really the one in charge and the one making all the decisions.
An image of a tank rolling through the streets of Prague in 1968, during the Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia. Warsaw Pact countries Soviet Union, Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria planned a joint invasion of Czechoslovakia in order to overthrow the Secretary who was planning to implement liberalisation reforms that would relax the laws put in by the Soviet Union. The Warsaw Pact allowed for events such as this to be possible because the USSR had control over all military in the Eastern Bloc, which made attacks such as the invasion of Czechoslovakia very easy. Also the fact that NATO feared the military power of the united eastern bloc and the nuclear weapons of the USSR which could cause millions of deaths.
This image shows a North Vietnamese soldier during the Vietnam War carrying a Russian-made AK-47. Throughout the Vietnam War, the Warsaw Pact countries, particularly the USSR, supplied resources to the Communist North Vietnamese Army. Without the unity of the Eastern Bloc, it may have not been possible for the USSR to aid the Vietnamese in their efforts against the NATO backed US. Though the supplies were not the main reason why the Communists won, it did contribute greatly to the war and is another example of the impact the Warsaw Pact had on the rest of the world.
Part 3 Question one:
“Cold War? Heck, it was a hot war!” (Robert McNamara, US Secretary of Defence 1961 – 1968)
To what extent do you agree with Robert McNamara’s statement that it was a ‘hot war’?
The Cold War is named as it is because the war was seen as ‘cold’ because the two countries involved (USA and the USSR) never came into direct conflict with each other. I do agree with Robert McNamara, that in fact it was a hot war, but a case can be made that it was ‘Cold’.
The War is a ‘hot war’ because there were still battles that the two countries participated in during the timespan. The first major proxy war, was the Korean war from 1950-53. The war was fought between the Communist North Korea and South Korea. The North were aided by the Chinese who were assisted by the Soviet Union. The two communist countries help supply ammunition, artillery and food to the North Vietnamese soldiers. The South Vietnamese were aided by NATO, mainly by the United States. Though the two superpowers in the USA and the USSR never fought each other directly during the Korean War, they supported opposite sides in order to achieve over the others allies. Specifically the United States wanted to prevent the spread of Communism into South Korea. The war ended as the North Korean Invasion was repelled and it left the death toll at over 2.5 million deaths. The next major proxy was the Vietnam War from 1965-1975. USA feared the spread of Communism through the independence of Vietnam, so they sent military forces to South Vietnam to stop the North Vietnamese army from taking over. The Soviets provided supplies for the North, who eventually won. Another horrific war which left millions dead but still no direct conflict between the US and the USSR. The question must be asked, did they ever get close to fighting each other? This can be answered by the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, where the two superpowers came to the brink of a nuclear war. No nuclear weapons were ever launched but the war was un-doubtfully ‘hot’ at that point.
The Cold War marked a period of instability in the world, as the two superpowers were on a verge of a nuclear war. Though they never had combat directly against each other, they both still fought in wars during the period that resulted in millions of deaths. Their relationship was indeed ‘cold’ but they still participated in wars against each other’s ideologies.
Question two: Why is the Cold War worth remembering? (Hint: you may like to use the criteria for historical significance that are listed above)
The Cold War was one the most significant events in history due to the large impact it had on wider society. The cold relationship between the communist states and the western nations marked an era of instability in the world. Olympic games boycotts became common place and trade became very difficult between the two opposing ideologies of the USA and the USSR. The rivalry between two superpowers sparked a space race to get the first person to the moon which helped the world make advancements in science and technology. Tension during the war led to an outbreak in several proxy wars that resulted in millions of deaths. The world almost came to end during the Cuban Missile Crisis where nuclear weapons from each side were nearly launched. Because of this fear of a nuclear war looming over peoples heads, many began preparing for the worst by building bomb shelters. Most Communists in the US were ostracised at the time which left the country in a great deal of unrest and unease. Though the two components of the war never fought directly, the 'cold' relationship and rivalry made a profound impact on the rest of society.
Annotated Bibliography
Biblio details:
Hanes, S., Hanes Ricard Clay, and Baker, L. (2004). Cold war. Detroit: Thomson/Gale.
Notes:
An semi-useful book that provided some interesting information about the causes and impact of the Warsaw Pact.
This website was very useful but lacked a great amount of content. It gave a short recap of the Warsaw Pact which helped with my background information.
Biblio details:
Lightbody, B. (1999). The Cold War. London: Routledge.
Notes:
This text contained a decent amount of information about the Warsaw Pact but could not be relied upon write a complete summary of the pact.
This website contained an immense amount of information just on the Warsaw Pact. It was hard to navigate due to the length of the website but it contained more than enough information about the causes, aftermath and perspectives of the Warsaw Pact.
Background:
After World War 2, Germany was split into two areas that became East Germany and West Germany. East was under the control of the Soviet Union and the West was governed by the Western Allies. In 1949 the Western Allies signed a treaty together which formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The aim of NATO was to defend each other from the possibility of communist Soviet Union taking control of their nation. In the same year, West Germany was given full sovereignty, and was rearmed by NATO.
Summary:
The Warsaw Pact came to fruition from the creation of NATO and the rearming of West Germany. The USSR wanted the NATO to be abolished because they feared the military and economic power that the pact created with the Western countries. The soviets responded with a military alliance with communist Eastern European countries, including East Germany which was called the Warsaw Pact. The pact was officially called the ‘Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance’. The Signatories included" the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. The treaty called on the member states to come to the defence of any member attacked by an outside force and it set up a unified military command under Marshal Ivan S. Konev of the Soviet Union.History.com staff called the pact “a mutual defence organisation that put the Soviets in command of the armed forces of the member states.” The introduction of the Warsaw Pact stated: “Western Germany, which is being re-militarised, and her inclusion in the North Atlantic bloc, which increases the danger of a new war and creates a threat to the national security of peace-loving states.” The aim of the Pact was to contain West Germany and be an equivalent partner to NATO. Other motives for the treaty was to resolve the civil unrest building in Eastern Europe after the end of World War 2. “Soviet union ultimately controlled most of the Pact’s decisions”. The signatories had few of everything military wise when compared to the nations of NATO. The pact relied heavily on conscription, whereby young men and women had to serve in their respective country's military. The pact dissolved in July of 1991, after multiple countries left. The pact contributed heavily to proxy wars such as the Korean War and Vietnam War, as Warsaw signatories provided resources for the Communist combatants in each of the wars. Th
Perspectives:
For the Eastern Bloc countries, they viewed the Warsaw Pact as an alliance that could keep socialist ideals alive and prevent the spreading of capitalistic views in Eastern Europe. The USSR specifically, wanted to be able a leader of Communism in the world and maintain their hold on Eastern and Central Europe. They also believed that they needed to create something equivalent to NATO as their application ti join was rejected in 1954.
NATO on the other hand believed the Warsaw Pact was the USSR attempting to create a military force that could be used to spread Communism across the whole world. They strongly opposed the pact and relations between the USA and the USSR became very cold after the pact was signed. Because of the USSR's nuclear arsenal, they also saw this as an attempt to allow for more nuclear missile launch stations closer to the East Coast of the USA.
Implications:
As a result of the Warsaw Pact, the world became divided and relations between the west and the eastern bloc became very cold. Though NATO and Warsaw Pact signatories never came into direct conflict, they did fight in proxy wars through supplying of resources and fighting with their preferred side. Examples of this were the Korean War and the Vietnam War, in which millions of people died. The Warsaw Pact marked the progress of the USSR and solidified the
presence of Communism in the World. For the USSR, the Warsaw Pact provided them with an abundance of reserve soldiers that could be called upon if war broke out in Russia. It also allowed the USSR to spread their air defense scruture to the countries of Eastern Europe which bolstered the security of Russia.
Source Analysis
This is a map of the world following the signing of the Warsaw Pact. It shows the division of the world between NATO and the Warsaw Pact signatories. The map also depicts the scale of power that each of the two treaties had in the world. With exception to China, it shows that nearly the whole world had chosen sides on the rivalry of NATO and the Soviet Union. This map displays the scale of the Warsaw Pact and how much of the world it affected.
A defence paper from 1978 compares the military strength of the NATO countries and the Warsaw Pact Countries in Central Europe. The comparison is made with stats about the number of total soldiers, number of soldiers fighting in units, amount of battle tanks, number of artillery and total amount of fixed wing tactical aircraft. For every category the Warsaw Pact Countries had more, with an overwhelming advantage in number of tanks, artillery and fixed wing tactical aircraft. This source reveals the military power that the Warsaw Pact created for the USSR. This powerful military force would deter any attempt from NATO to attack countries in the Eastern Bloc, such as East Germany.A picture from the Warsaw Pact Conference on the 11th of May 1955. The Eastern Bloc countries meet to discuss and negotiate the terms of the Pact. The USSR dictated most of the conference, and had the final say on most of the decisions regarding the pact. Though the picture indicates that everyone was equals, the USSR was really the one in charge and the one making all the decisions.
An image of a tank rolling through the streets of Prague in 1968, during the Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia. Warsaw Pact countries Soviet Union, Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria planned a joint invasion of Czechoslovakia in order to overthrow the Secretary who was planning to implement liberalisation reforms that would relax the laws put in by the Soviet Union. The Warsaw Pact allowed for events such as this to be possible because the USSR had control over all military in the Eastern Bloc, which made attacks such as the invasion of Czechoslovakia very easy. Also the fact that NATO feared the military power of the united eastern bloc and the nuclear weapons of the USSR which could cause millions of deaths.
This image shows a North Vietnamese soldier during the Vietnam War carrying a Russian-made AK-47. Throughout the Vietnam War, the Warsaw Pact countries, particularly the USSR, supplied resources to the Communist North Vietnamese Army. Without the unity of the Eastern Bloc, it may have not been possible for the USSR to aid the Vietnamese in their efforts against the NATO backed US. Though the supplies were not the main reason why the Communists won, it did contribute greatly to the war and is another example of the impact the Warsaw Pact had on the rest of the world.Part 2
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-cold-war-930e4b43-30a6-40fc-bb72-61e02d7eef34
Part 3Question one:
“Cold War? Heck, it was a hot war!” (Robert McNamara, US Secretary of Defence 1961 – 1968)
To what extent do you agree with Robert McNamara’s statement that it was a ‘hot war’?
The Cold War is named as it is because the war was seen as ‘cold’ because the two countries involved (USA and the USSR) never came into direct conflict with each other. I do agree with Robert McNamara, that in fact it was a hot war, but a case can be made that it was ‘Cold’.
The War is a ‘hot war’ because there were still battles that the two countries participated in during the timespan. The first major proxy war, was the Korean war from 1950-53. The war was fought between the Communist North Korea and South Korea. The North were aided by the Chinese who were assisted by the Soviet Union. The two communist countries help supply ammunition, artillery and food to the North Vietnamese soldiers. The South Vietnamese were aided by NATO, mainly by the United States. Though the two superpowers in the USA and the USSR never fought each other directly during the Korean War, they supported opposite sides in order to achieve over the others allies. Specifically the United States wanted to prevent the spread of Communism into South Korea. The war ended as the North Korean Invasion was repelled and it left the death toll at over 2.5 million deaths. The next major proxy was the Vietnam War from 1965-1975. USA feared the spread of Communism through the independence of Vietnam, so they sent military forces to South Vietnam to stop the North Vietnamese army from taking over. The Soviets provided supplies for the North, who eventually won. Another horrific war which left millions dead but still no direct conflict between the US and the USSR. The question must be asked, did they ever get close to fighting each other? This can be answered by the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, where the two superpowers came to the brink of a nuclear war. No nuclear weapons were ever launched but the war was un-doubtfully ‘hot’ at that point.
The Cold War marked a period of instability in the world, as the two superpowers were on a verge of a nuclear war. Though they never had combat directly against each other, they both still fought in wars during the period that resulted in millions of deaths. Their relationship was indeed ‘cold’ but they still participated in wars against each other’s ideologies.
Question two:
Why is the Cold War worth remembering? (Hint: you may like to use the criteria for historical significance that are listed above)
The Cold War was one the most significant events in history due to the large impact it had on wider society. The cold relationship between the communist states and the western nations marked an era of instability in the world. Olympic games boycotts became common place and trade became very difficult between the two opposing ideologies of the USA and the USSR. The rivalry between two superpowers sparked a space race to get the first person to the moon which helped the world make advancements in science and technology. Tension during the war led to an outbreak in several proxy wars that resulted in millions of deaths. The world almost came to end during the Cuban Missile Crisis where nuclear weapons from each side were nearly launched. Because of this fear of a nuclear war looming over peoples heads, many began preparing for the worst by building bomb shelters. Most Communists in the US were ostracised at the time which left the country in a great deal of unrest and unease. Though the two components of the war never fought directly, the 'cold' relationship and rivalry made a profound impact on the rest of society.
Annotated BibliographyBiblio details:
Hanes, S., Hanes Ricard Clay, and Baker, L. (2004). Cold war. Detroit: Thomson/Gale.
Notes:
An semi-useful book that provided some interesting information about the causes and impact of the Warsaw Pact.
Biblio details:
Staff, H. (2016). The Warsaw Pact is formed - May 14, 1955 - HISTORY.com. [online] HISTORY.com. Available at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-warsaw-pact-is-formed [Accessed 8 Aug. 2016].
Notes:
This website was very useful but lacked a great amount of content. It gave a short recap of the Warsaw Pact which helped with my background information.
Biblio details:
Lightbody, B. (1999). The Cold War. London: Routledge.
Notes:
This text contained a decent amount of information about the Warsaw Pact but could not be relied upon write a complete summary of the pact.
Biblio details:
Shsu.edu. (2016). The Warsaw Pact. [online] Available at: http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/WarPact.html [Accessed 8 Aug. 2016].
Notes:
This website contained an immense amount of information just on the Warsaw Pact. It was hard to navigate due to the length of the website but it contained more than enough information about the causes, aftermath and perspectives of the Warsaw Pact.